PROBLEM - Anthony Lockwood

CHAPTER TWO

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ii

oh he's posh

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LOCKWOOD AND CO. that's what it said on the newspaper.

Alice pursed her lips, if this didn't work, she'd be sleeping on the streets tonight. Perhaps she should've accepted a leaftlet from the woman at the train station after all.

London was a mix of saftey and danger.

Hunters and agents were here, with their salt and siver and iron.

But so were the ghosts. London was concentrated with some of the densest ghost populations in the country, and Alice was sure that she could find solace in a graveyard with some spirits somewhere.

She made her way through the significantly quieter streets of central London and paused. She found herself at a street of nice, old style houses. Double checking the add in the newspaper, she began to walk towards the house on Portland Row. Sure enough, there was a sign on the door, which read Lockwood and Co..

Alice pursed her lips, making her way up the stairs and ringing the bell.

Stay calm.

The door opened and a tall boy opened it. He had curly black hair, glasses and a nonchalant look about him.

"Oh. There's another one," the boy signed.

"Don't be mean, George," came a girl's voice. Alice looked to see a girl with auburn hair and a round face stand at the wall behind him. She was extremely pretty, with bright eyes and a tough feel about her. "What's your name?"

"Alice Deane," she replied, looking up at them, "Are you Mr. Lockwood?"

The boy - George - shook his head, "Me? No."

Alice pursed her lips, "Can I see him, then?"

"Of course," girl declared, "Come in. I'm Lucy, by the way."

Alice smiled at Lucy as George stepped aside, letting her enter. "The last one's just gone in, but from the looks of her she won't be too long," George declared.

A few moments later, there was a loud shriek and a girl tore from a room, screaming, "Get that thing away from me!" And promptly ran out of the house, slamming the door behind her.

Alice blinked.

They led her into a sort of parlour on the side.

It was a quaint little room, with vintage wallpaper and sofas. It had a cosy feel to it.

"I was right," Lucy declared, "There's another candidate."

"No, George wins," a boy sighed, "I checked the list - that was the last one."

"Then whose this?"

The boy turned to face Alice, and surveyed her for a moment, smiling lightly. "Hello, I'm Anthony Lockwood."

He was posh, and Alice didn't like that. In the past day her encounters with posh people had ended quite sour. He wore a black suit, which was tailored to fit him perfectly, and he had dark hair, pale skin and a mysterious look about him.

And he was tall. Very tall.

Alice blinked, forcing herself to look away from him.

It's rude to stare, she reminded herself, even if he's handsome.

"Would you like some tea?" Lockwood inquired.

"I'd say hold off on it until we do the tests, we've wasted enough tea bags today," George declared, "And she doesn't look like much."